


A Case of Shared Interests

by BlueGirl22



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: (john is rlly drunk), (see previous tag), (the angelica & laurens tag is purely platonic), Alcohol, Gen, Vomiting, look my in the eye and tell my angelica and laurens wouldn't make the best friends, sorry abt the ending I'm bad at endings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-15
Updated: 2017-04-15
Packaged: 2018-10-19 00:59:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10628856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueGirl22/pseuds/BlueGirl22
Summary: After the wedding party disperses and the newlyweds run off, Angelica finds herself sitting in moonlight on the steps of the church, cradling the head of a crying and very, very drunk John Laurens. Needless to say, she didn’t sign up for this.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LimpBlotter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LimpBlotter/gifts).



The wedding was a real rollercoaster ride of emotions for Angelica. Everytime she looked at Alexander, her spirits would plummet, but every time she saw Eliza’s smiling face they would take off and soar. She mostly tried to avoid looking either one of them in the eye, but that was considerably difficult to do. After she finished her toast, she decided to try and focus more on the guests. Angelica had always been good at reading people, and it served as a good distraction. She let her gaze fall randomly.

First, her eye fell on two of the three people to show up from the groom's side; Hercules Mulligan and the Marquis de Lafayette. Lafayette was making a flower crown from the basket of flowers Mulligan was holding. He tried to fit it over Mulligan’s head, but alas, his skull was too large. Mulligan rolled his eyes comically, pulled a tape measure out of his pocket, and passed it to Lafayette. Lafayette, more than slightly drunk, just looked at it with tears in his eyes. Mulligan demonstrated wrapping the tape measure around his head and passed it back to his friend.

Angelica chuckled. Those two seemed happy enough, even with Lafayette’s momentary confusion-induced emotional pitfall. She looked around for Peggy’s cheery yellow dress, and spied her in the corner of the room. She was talking to the third and final groom’s man, John Laurens. They were talking very animatedly and would dance together every now and then, but it was clear to Angelica that something was very wrong. Every few minutes, he would see something that would make his expression fall and he would down another glass of port.

Peggy was oblivious to anything amiss and just seemed to be enjoying having someone pay attention to her for once, so Angelica decided she didn’t need to intervene just yet. She turned to see what made Laurens keep needing more and more alcohol. _Oh_. Right in his line of sight on the other side of the room was the happy couple. They had been dancing nearly the entire evening, only stopping when the musicians did. Whenever they slowed enough for their smiling faces to be seen, John would reach for a glass.

Looking back at his face, it became crystal clear that he was in the exact same situation she was. She recalled that he and Hamilton had arrived at the ball three weeks ago on each others’ arms, and had been practically inseparable until Eliza sent her over to speak to Alexander. Just as Angelica and fallen for and sacrificed her chance with Alexander for her beloved Eliza, Laurens must have fallen for and sacrificed his chance with Eliza for his beloved Alexander.

Deep in thought, Angelica blinked a few times. This was exactly the train of thought that she had been trying to avoid. She wandered off into the crowd of extended family members and loose acquaintances in order to find someone pleasant to talk to.

* * *

 

The door of the hall opened, and the crowd flooded out into the cold air. Angelica noticed the four drunken revolutionaries stumble off into the night. The bride zoomed towards Angelica, her veil billowing in the breeze and her face lit up with joy. Eliza grabbed Angelica’s arm, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

“I’m getting the slightest hint of a feeling, and I may just be guessing here, that you enjoyed your wedding day,” Angelica teased.

Eliza grinned wider. “I did a little bit, yes, now that you mention it. Now if only I could find my husband. I appear to have misplaced him.”

“He went that way,” Angelica nodded in the direction she’d last seen him, “I give him about four minutes before he comes racing back, screaming your name.” She paused for effect. “Prematurely.”

It took half a second for the joke to connect to her sister’s brain, and she burst into laughter.

“Angelica!”

“What can I say? I see the shot, I take to shot.”

There were almost no people left on the steps of the church, so the two were able to sit down without obstructing anybody’s path. Eliza rested her head in the crook of her sister’s neck.

“You better not fall asleep on me ‘Liza.”

“I won’t, I’m just stealing your life force.”

“Of course. You’re not at all tired after dancing for three entire hours.”

“No, that would be ridiculous.”

Quick footsteps pounded against the cobblestones and a familiar voice shouted, “Eliiiza, I’m sorry I forgot you!”

The woman bolted to her feet and gathered up her dress. “That’s fine, I’ll have you trained soon.”

Angelica stood, hugged Eliza, and whispered, “ _Go, girl, seek happy nights to happy days_.”

Eliza laughed again. “Was that…  _Much Ado About Nothing_?”

Angelica shook her head with mock disappointment. “ _Romeo and Juliet_. I’ll have _you_ trained soon.”

The newlyweds ran off into the night, and she sank back down into a shadow on the steps, watching the stars. The sound of the couple’s footsteps had only just dissipated when Lafayette and Mulligan came stumbling past. They were clinging to each other for balance, and Angelica smiled when she saw a multitude of flowers tucked into Hercules’s bandana. She guessed that Lafayette had given up on trying to make him a crown. They didn’t notice her sitting in the dark and were soon out of sight.

Yet again, as one party disappeared, another entered the pool of soft yellow light given off by the church lanterns. John Laurens lurched forward, left arm clinging to the wrought iron fence, right one clutching a dark bottle.

And oh dear God he was _drunk_. Extremely, _extremely_ drunk. He couldn’t even keep his head up as he took a long drink from the mystery bottle. Alexander had been tipsy but essentially fine, Mulligan and Lafayette very clearly going to regret all of their life decisions in the morning, but Laurens looked like he would kill himself if he drank another drop. Angelica could smell the alcohol, and she was a good twelve feet away. As he brought the bottle to his lips again, Angelica decided to intervene before the young man drank himself to death before her very eyes. She gathered up her skirts and bolted over to him.

“Good evening, Mr. Laurens,” she said as she gingerly plucked the bottle from his weak grip.

“Hey! Ms. Shy- Ms. Sigh- Ms. Schuyler, what’re ya still doing here? I thought everyone’d left,” he slurred, trying to get his eyes to focus on her.

“Never mind what I’m doing here,” she wrapped his now free right arm around her shoulders, and snaked one of her arms around his waist. Not a moment too soon, it appeared, because just then his knees gave way, transferring his entire weight on her. “Mr. Laurens, I’m trying to bring you to a seat on the steps, but you need to cooperate and try to walk.”

“But- but m’ legs have gone soft.”

“Yes, I can see that, so just try to keep youself as upright as possible.”

Slowly, she brought him over to the steps and set him down on the cool stone beside her. His spine was like a wet noodle, so he kept leaning against her for support. “Now, come on, look at me,” she brought his face to her eye level, “Why did you do this to yourself Mr. Laurens? What’s wrong, how do you feel?” Angelica was fairly certain she already knew these answers, but there could always been more to it, talking was a good way to keep someone awake, and if would feel good for him to have a confidant.

“Nothin’s wrong, I feel great! Wha’ makes ya think there’s somethin’ wrong?” he started giggling uncontrollably.

Looking him straight in the eye, she stated, “Because perfectly happy people don’t put themselves in this state. You may have seriously damaged yourself. And why did you come back here instead of going home?”

“ ‘Cause, well, actually, thassa funny story,” more giggles, “I came here ‘cause I thought, I thought that no one would be-” mid-sentence, his laughter turned instantly into sobs, and he buried his face in the crook of her neck.

Angelica had been suspecting a mood swing like this. She wound her arms around him and rubbed circles into his shaking back. Into his ear, she whispered, “Shh, shh, it’s okay, you’re alright, you’re safe. You can tell me.”

Laurens continued to cry loudly for another minute or so before he managed to get any words out. Even then, every few words were punctuated by another sob. “I just, I’m gonna die alone.” Of course, waxing poetic about Eliza. “I could _never_ find anyone else like that. Someone so perfect and real, and, and even if I didn’t- if I wasn’t-”

Abruptly, he looked up at Angelica and sloppily kissed her full on the mouth. Normally, if a man had done that, she would have pushed him away and slapped him across the face before he had time to say “darlin’,” but she could hardly hold poor Laurens to his actions in this state. After a moment, he pulled back and his sobbing just intensified.

Voice rising in pitch, he squealed,“Sorry, sorry just, nope, nope, nothing.” He looked around blearily, and tried to stretch an arm across her lap to grab the bottle back, but Angelica quickly pushed it out of his reach. “I can’t feel like- there’s just _nothing_.” He collapsed back into her side.

“That’s okay Mr. Laurens, but please don’t try that again, there’s a good man.” She rubbed more circles into his back.

He curled in on himself, and she watched as the heavy breaths and crying made his shoulders shake. “It’s just, it’s just, when I’d do tha with him, I’d feel so much. And it’s like I just can’t feel _anything_ anymore.”

_Him_. Laurens had definitely just said ‘him’. Some things slid around and fit back into place in Angelica’s brain. _Oh_ , thought Angelica. _Oh, the poor man_.

“John,” she began with caution, feeling that she may as well use his christian name, “Do you have feelings for Alexander?”

He nodded his head vigorously. It took a moment for what he did to connect with his mind, and Angelica could physically see the moment it did. His eyes went wide, his whole body became rigid with fear, he blanched, and threw up all over the steps in front of him. Angelica had been certain he had reached Maximum Sob after kissing her, but boy had she been wrong. He sounded like his soul was being ripped out through his throat.

“Shit shit shit shit, p-please don’t tell anyone. I didn’t mean that, I was just, uhh, Idon’tknow, I didn’t mean it. I’m fine, please, I’m fine, don’t let them hurt me.” He put his head between his knees and tried to break any physical contact the two had.

She was shocked.“I would _never_ do that. I told you, it’s okay, you’re fine, you’re safe.” Softly, she pulled his head onto her lap and stroked his hair. He reminded her of Peggy when she was little, in a way. Angelica had seen her through many a crying fit. Slowly, his sounds of despair calmed down, but she could still feel hot tears soaking through her dress. Quietly, she reached her free hand out beside her and took a swig from the bottle, and nearly spit it right back out again.

“John what is this? It’s _horrible_.” She waited, and he didn’t respond. “John?”

He’d fallen asleep.

She jiggled his shoulder. “Come on John, wake up. You shouldn’t sleep in this state, and you certainly can’t sleep here.” This seemed to have no effect, so she lightly slapped his face a few times. For a heart stopping moment, he didn’t respond, but then his eyes creaked open.

“Hmm? Oh, g’d’evening Ms. Schuyler. Where’d ya come from? And why’re you slapping me?”

She hefted him back up on her shoulder, and stood up. “ Please, call me Angelica. And we’ve been talking for some minutes, John. You drank quite a lot more than you should, so I’m taking you home. Where do you live?”

“We’ve been tal- oh yeah. I ‘member now.” He poked her nose in a friendly manner. “You tried to kiss me,” he said in a sing-song voice.

She sighed, plodding down the steps. “That isn’t exactly what happened, my friend.” It appeared that in exchange for a brighter mood, he’d forfeited what little coherency he had left.

“Oh yeaaaaah, ’s all coming back to me now. Wait did I...” a look of intense concentration crossed his face, “Did I tell you something secret? Y’know, a really secret thing?” He put a finger to his lips in the ‘shh’ gesture.

“You did, yes.” His temperament had _really_ improved, hadn’t it. Drunken mood swings were something else. She made their way out of the church gate and out to the road.

“D’y’know what you hafta do now, Angeeeelica?”

“No, I don’t, what would that be?”

“You gotta tell me a secret, too. It’s only fair.”

She swiveled her face to look at him, and raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Uh huh,” he nodded.

She considered for a moment. “You’re not going to remember any of this in the morning, are you?”

“I might,” said he, sticking his tongue out.

“No, you really won’t.” She paused.  “Alright then, but first, you have to point which way I need to go.”

“I live, umm, oh, where is it,” he waved a hand around in front of his face. “Near the boat place. With the water, an the boats. The dock place.”

Angelica was using all of her self control to keep a straight face. “You live near the dock?”

John’s face lit up.“That’s it! How did you know?”

She grinned at him. “Lucky guess.”

“Wow, I think you’re magic.” He rested his head on her shoulder again as she turned south toward the water. “Now, secret time.”

“Mine is rather boring.”

“Tellmetellmetellme!”

“Alright then.” She took a breath. “I’m a little bit in love with Alexander, too.”

He giggled and nuzzled her neck with his nose. “You’re a woman of taste. He’s so pretty.”

“Don’t I know it.”

“The _eyes_ , Angelica. I see ‘em in my dreams.”

“You and me both, John, you and me both.”

He sighed. “But he’s married to _Eliza_.”

Uh oh. She didn’t want him bursting into tears again. “But they’re happy. And we can be too, in time.”

“Ya think so?”

“Of course. We’re adults, and there’s more to life than love.”

“Okay. Sounds fake, but okay…”

Angelica squinted in the dark. Lucky for John she knew this city backwards upside down and sideways, or he would have been really stuck. “Are we near?” she asked.

“Uuuuuuhhhhh, I can’t see great.”

“That’ll be because it’s dark and you’re hideously drunk.”

“I think I hear water, though. We should be close. There,” he squeezed his eyes shut, “there’ll be a few barrels of water ousside the door.”

“Thank you, that’s useful.”

They plodded on for another few minutes before Angelica spied a house with three water barrels by the door.

“Eeeeeeyyyyyy there it is! I live there!” shouted John into the night.

“You may want to quiet down slightly, my friend.” replied Angelica.

“YOUR FRI-” he began, very loudly, then modified his tone, “I mean, um, your friend! Am I your friend?”

“Yes you are, John. And do you know what friends do for each other?” She marched toward the water barrels.

“What?”

“They take each other’s advice. And I advise that you drink some water.” One of the barrels had a little tin cup hanging above it, which she dunked into the liquid and waved under John’s face. His nose crinkled.

“Why should I do tha?”

“Because all you’ve consumed since the wedding started twelve hours ago is alcohol, and you need something else in your stomach. Drink it.”

Apparently convinced, he took the cup and knocked it back. He then threw the empty cup half way down the street. _Oh well,_ thought Angelica.

She pushed the front door open with her foot and looked around for a room that looked like it could be John’s. He assisted by flailing his arm in the direction of every door. Eventually, she just picked one at random and stomped in.

“Shhhhhhh shhhhh friiiend, there are other people sleeping.” He was very rapidly turning from a wet noodle into a jellyfish, everything was going limp.

“Come on, just stay awake for a few more seconds, I just need to take off your coat and waistcoat.”

She sat him down on the bed, and he started grinning like an idiot while she pulled off his sleeves.

“What is it?”

“Both those words have ‘coat’ in them!”

“I can’t argue with you there.”

She went to unbutton his waistcoat, and he got all giggly and ticklish. She was having a rough time not bursting into laughter as well. This man was a treasure. As she finally got the layer off of him, he mumbled, “At least buy me dinner first.” She had to bite down on her tongue.

“Just kick off your boots, then I’ll let you sleep.”

“But my feet’ll be cold!”

“No, they invented quilts for a reason, John. _So you won’t be cold._ ”

“See, you _are_ magic, you know things.”

He flopped backward on the stiff mattress, and Angelica pulled the quilt over him. He smiled sleepily and said, very quietly, “Thank you Angelica. The day wasn’t great, but you made the night nice.” He dropped off immediately after that.

Angelica reflected that it was sort of a pity that he wouldn’t remember anything in the morning. Granted, he’d be glad to forget the fit of crying, but otherwise, he was right, the night had been rather nice. She assumed that he would be back off to the war in a day or two, so she made a mental note to get in touch with him when he came back. She looked forward to seeing him completely happy and moved on.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading, you can find me on tumblr @bisexual-evanhansen


End file.
